New stay in Berlin, at the Sheraton Berlin Grand Hotel Esplanade this time. After the excellent experience of the Westin Grand Berlin, let’s see what this one has in store for us.
Arrival at the hotel
Le Sheraton Berlin est situé un peu au sud du parc de Tiergarten. Not really in the center, unlike the Westin. It takes about half an hour by cab from Berlin Tegel airport.
The hotel is therefore a bit out of the way, but that’s not a problem: the center can be reached in a half-hour walk for the most courageous, and by public transport for the others.
Considering the number of business offices nearby, it seems to me that initially it is more a business hotel than a leisure hotel. And its size (75 rooms per floor on 7 floors) suggests that it was also sized for groups.
The building is reminiscent of all those very impersonal Sheraton’s and Hilton’s made to handle mass in hotels and on the outskirts of downtowns in the 80’s. Absolutely no charm, no personality, you can change the logo overnight it will not change anything. Moreover, the hotel is only recently Sheraton, it was independent before.
On the other hand, the building is in good condition, proof that if it is at least 20 years old, it must not be much older.
The entrance is through a large covered courtyard that also houses the bar terrace. Excellent idea both for the arrivals (in case of bad weather you are dry and if you are waiting for a cab you are safe) and for the customers who take advantage of a covered outdoor space to have a drink in a city where the climate is not always mild.
In passing we see the car which is used to transport the customers of the hotel (in particular the transfers airport) A jaguar break… of good taste but strange in Germany.
Some customers don’t have these problems.
Check-in
The lobby is very spacious. There is a bar/restaurant, rest/work areas and, of course, the check-in desks.
Having done the mobile check-in on the SPG application our keys were waiting for us, there was no need for any other formality than presenting the passports. Inexplicably, many hotels ask for a card imprint even in case of mobile check-in and/or re-sign a form when everything has already been communicated online. None of that here, the stop at the counter lasted 1 1/2 minutes maximum. That’s how it should always be.
No expectation on the upgrade side: before arriving at the hotel I had checked that no suite was available for reservation so there was nothing to expect.
Finally the two standard rooms were upgraded to a club room and a “panorama suite” which means that one suite was cancelled at the last moment.
Two types of rooms for you to discover.
Club Room
Nothing but classic here: a good-sized room with a desk space and a reading light.
In this kind of property one can always have concerns about the level of obsolescence of the rooms. Here everything seems to have been renovated but in an “old” style, without personality. A brand new 80s/90s room in 2018!
The same goes for the bathroom. The design is back in the 80s, but everything is really new.
In short, it doesn’t make you dream but it’s clean and efficient.
Special mention for the excellent bedding in which one sleeps very well. On the other hand the two individual and too small comforters (see photo of the bed) are really not convenient. Really weird.
There are worse views, but there are also better ones.
And the video tour…
The Panorama Suite
More than a suite it is rather a large “executive room”. So it’s a bit oversold.
It is a very large single room with a separate entrance, a real lounge area and a central table.
The bathroom is very large without adding anything: a lot of space lost for nothing.
The panorama suite has a beautiful terrace with a view of the city.
For the rest, same impression as for the club room. Apparently the hotel was renovated when it went under the Sheraton banner but was not redesigned: everything is as before but new. And the two small comforters do not really make the unanimity.
And here is the video.
The restaurant at the Sheraton Berlin: poor, poor, poor
The hotel’s restaurant is located in the lobby. As much as it is commonplace for a bar, for a restaurant to be so much in the passage and in the impersonal decor of the lobby is not really appealing.
In short, we didn’t try it.
The bar, on the other hand, looked much more inviting.
But we preferred the outdoor terrace.
Pretty nice but not much to say about it. Fast service, slightly light glasses in dosage…
There is also the club lounge.
It is rather pleasant in appearance.
At the time of the aperitif it was packed and the tables not or badly cleared. With only one person to take care of it, it is certain that no miracle was to be expected, so the customers put the plates and glasses of the previous occupants of the table on the floor to be able to settle down. Not really an optimal experience. Not to mention the poor air conditioning.
The service itself was rather decent at the time of the aperitif.
On the drinks side we will find soft drinks, wine and beer, nothing else.
Almost enough in terms of offer to go without going to dinner afterwards but the overall experience remains too average.
As for the breakfast offer, it is totally inadequate.
A beautiful pool but an unworthy gym
The Sheraton Berlin has a gym. Of suitable size and benefiting from daylight, it encourages optimism.
On the other hand it is very poorly equipped: mainly cardio and almost nothing else.
Worse: it really seems that nobody cares. Untidy, equipment and towels lying around.
It really doesn’t make you want to do a workout.
So let’s go to the pool.
It is quite appealing. It is large but its shape predisposes it more to relaxation than swimming.
And the water is at the right temperature.
The place could certainly deserve a makeover but the overall experience is very positive.
Check-out
The hotel offering the possibility of making a mobile check-out we could leave our rooms and go without having to pass by the reception. Very convenient.
Conclusion: the Sheraton Berlin, an endangered dinosaur
At 90 euros a night the Sheraton Berlin is still a good deal but is really on the limit. The new rubs shoulders with the old (see below the machine that controls the room keys in the elevator and for access to the rooms) in a finally impersonal and almost incoherent whole.
The restaurant is not very appealing, the lounge very average, the gym abandoned…
This hotel is the epitome of a generation of Sheraton’s made to be upscale and standardized for the masses. This is totally opposite to the new strategy of the brand whose new standard is the Sheraton Grand brand (see the Sheraton Grand in Dubai...). Many Sheratons have just left the brand for this reason while others are opening with new standards and nothing says that this one will last long in this context.
In short, a good value for money for an average experience. When the Westin is 20 euros more for the same dates…. one can wonder.
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